Croquet mallet-carrying basket

ABSTRACT

A croquet mallet-carrying basket includes a basket body of an elongate rectangular hollow shape. The basket body has a front side hinged with a lower side to function as a cover and hooks on the upper side swinging open or shut for taking out balls placed therein. The two opposite sides of the basket body have plural handle holes vertically located not to be aligned to one another for the shanks of croquet mallets to be inserted through into the basket body so that the head of a croquet mallet needs not to be separated from the shank before the croquet mallet is placed in the basket body for carrying along. Croquet balls may be also placed into the basket body through the shank holes into the basket body for storing therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a croquet mallet-carrying basket, particularly to one possible to receive the shanks of croquet mallets therein and carry them along without taking the head off the shank of each croquet mallet.

2. Description of the Prior Art

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a croquet mallet consisting of a head 10 and a shank 20 combined firmly as a T shape with one end of the shank fitted in a center point of the head, so when a plurality of croquet mallets are to be placed in a conventional carrying basket, the heads of the mallets generally have to be separated from the shanks of the croquet mallets owing to the length of the head for convenience of placing in the basket. Therefore, the head and the shank of each mallet have to be combined together in playing or storing away in the basket, making use of the croquet mallet rather troublesome by repeating assembly and disassembly of the mallet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention has been devised to offer a croquet mallet-carrying basket for placing and carrying plural croquet mallets without separating the heads from the handles.

The feature of the invention is the basket body of a elongate rectangular hollow shape, an upper side of the body provided with a grip for carrying the basket, hooks provided on an upper side surface of the body for securing the front side functioning as a cover, shank holes formed in two opposite sides and located to be not aligned to one another. Then each mallet can be placed in the hollow of the body by inserting the shank of each mallet through each shank hole of one side into the interior of the body, with the head of each mallet remained blocked and contacting the outer wall of each shank hole. Thus the head of each mallet needs not to be separated from the handle for placing each mallet and carried along therein. In addition, croquet balls can also be placed in the body through the shank holes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a croquet mallet;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a croquet mallet-carrying basket in the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the croquet mallet-carrying basket with its cover swung down in the present invention; and,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the croquet mallet-carrying basket with the shanks of croquet mallets placed in the basket in the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of a croquet mallet-carrying basket in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, includes a basket body 30 of an elongate rectangular hollow shape, a grip 31 fixed on an upper side surface of the basket body 30 for carrying the basket body 30, a front side 32 of the basket body 30 having its lower end pivotally connected with the basket body 30 by means of hinges 320 and its upper end hooked with the upper side of the basket body 30 by means of plural hooks 321 as shown in FIG. 3. Thus the front side 32 functions as a cover possible to be swung down and up for opening and closing, Further, a plurality of shank holes 33 spaced apart vertically and properly in two opposite sides of the basket body 30 with a soft protective ring 34 respectively fitted around each shank hole 32 so as not to harm the outer surface of the shank 20 of each croquet mallet when inserted through the shank hole 32 for placed in the interior hollow of the basket body 30 for carrying. The shank holes 33 in one of the two opposite sides are positioned vertically at the right side, and those 33 in the other of the two opposite sides are positioned vertically at the left side, preventing the croquet mallets from colliding with one another when they are placed in the basket body 30. In addition, horizontal support arms 34 or vertical support members 35 may be fixed on the inner wall of the basket body 30 as shown in FIG. 2, for supporting stably the shanks 20 of the croquet mallets placed in the basket body.

In using, referring to FIG. 4, insert the shank 20 of each croquet mallet in the shank holes 33 of one of the two opposite sides of the basket body 30 and push them into the interior of the basket body 30, letting the shanks 20 respectively supported on the support arms 34 or the support members 35, with the heads 10 vertical to the handles 20 of the croquet mallets obstructed by the outer walls of the shank holes 33 and resting on the outer walls stably owing to their bigger size than the shank holes 33.

As to the croquet balls, they can be placed through the shank holes 33 in the interior of the basket body 30, and taken out by opening the front side 32 (the cover) by unhooking the hooks 321 and swinging it down.

By the way, the support arms 34 or the support members 35 are not indispensable components, possible to be saves. In their absence, the handles 20 can still be positioned straight stably after inserted in the interior of the basket body 30 by the heads 10 kept vertical to the handles 20 at the outer walls of the handle holes 33. As to the protective rings 330, they are respectively fitted around the handle holes 33, possible to protect the shanks 20 of the croquet mallets or balls from getting hurt in inserting action into the basket body 30.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A croquet mallet-carrying basket comprising a basket body of an elongate rectangular hollow shape, said basket body having a front side with its lower end connected pivotally with said basket body by means of hinges and plural hooks fixed on an upper side of said body so said front side functions as a cover possible to be swung down and up for opening and closing; said basket body having two opposite sides provided with plural shank holes for the shanks of croquet mallets and croquet balls to be inserted through into the interior hollow of said basket body for storing, said shank holes having a size smaller than the length of the head of a croquet mallet to block the head by the outer wall of each shank hole so as to rest on the outer wall.
 2. The croquet mallet-carrying basket as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shank holes in one of said two opposite sides of said basket body are located vertically at the right side, and said handle holes of the other of said two opposite sides are located vertically at the left side.
 3. The croquet mallet-carrying basket as claimed in claim 1, wherein a soft protecting ring is further fitted around each said shank hole in said two opposite sides of said basket body so as to prevent the shank of each croquet mallet or a croquet ball from hurt when it is inserted through said shank hole.
 4. The croquet mallet-carrying basket as claimed in claim 1, wherein plural horizontal support arms or plural vertical support member are additionally provided on an inner wall of said basket body for supporting stably the shanks of croquet mallets.
 5. The croquet mallet-carrying basket as claimed in claim 1, wherein a grip is provided on an upper side of said basket body for carrying said basket. 